Academic Beards

Lee J Stemkoski
Assistant Professor
Mathematics and Computer Science
Adelphi University
http://adelphi.edu/~stemkoski/

Professor Steven Rawlings, 50, was found at the home of his best friend of more than 30 years, maths lecturer Dr Devinder Sivia, 49, on Wednesday.

Dr Sivia, from Southmoor, Oxfordshire, was arrested on suspicion of murder and released on police bail until April 18.

Today Prof Rawling's wife Linda Rawlings believed her husband's death was a 'tragic accident'.

The professor's older sister Linda Davey, 64, said: 'We can't think that there was any kind of fight. We can only assume that it was a terrible accident.'

Police confirmed this afternoon that a post-mortem had proved inconclusive and the matter might be a matter for a Coroner's inquest rather than a criminal court.

Police discovered the professor’s body after they were called about an ‘incident’ at Dr Sivia’s bungalow.

Further tests will be carried out over the next few weeks to discover the cause of death.

Det Supt Rob Mason, from Thames Valley Police's Major Crime Unit, said: 'A substantial amount of information is already in the public domain and we can confirm that the two individuals involved have been friends for over thirty years.

'I would emphasise that the police are investigating all potential circumstances that could have led to his death.

'We are mindful that ultimately the death may be a matter for a Coroner’s inquest rather than a criminal court and I would ask for patience from both the media and the public while we continue our investigation.

'Due to the post-mortem examination results proving inconclusive and further examinations being required, this has necessitated a lengthy bail date.'

A neighbour is said to have tried to save the dying man’s life by desperately pumping his chest. But minutes after officers arrived, Dr Sivia – who was dressed all in white – was led away in handcuffs after being arrested on suspicion of murder.

Dr Giacomo Vivanti
Research Fellow
Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering
School of Psychological Science
Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre
Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre, Margot Prior Wing - La Trobe University Community Children’s Centre, Melbourne (Bundoora)

Welitom Rodrigues Borges
University of Brasília, Institute of Geosciences

Dr Mattias Frey
Lecturer in Film
School of Arts, University of Kent
Dr Mattias Frey received his academic training in Heidelberg, Mannheim and Berlin as well as at Harvard University, where he earned his bachelor and doctoral degrees and taught in the Department for Visual and Environmental Studies. In 2008 he joined the University of Kent as Lecturer in Film Studies. In addition, he serves as Admissions Officer and as Co-ordinator for ERASMUS and Year Abroad programmes for the Film Studies Department.

http://www.kent.ac.uk/arts/staff/mattias_frey.html

Considering he talks about the marvels of the universe, Academic Beards has occasionally wondered why Professor Brian Cox sounds a little dull. Last night during his appearance on BBC2's QI came our lightbulb moment - the professor has no beard. No beard, no mumbling, no modulation of tone based on variation in beard/soup ratio. Cox, where's your beard?

Behrang Mahjani, PhD Student
Division of Scientific Computing
Department of Information Technology
Uppsala University
http://www.it.uu.se/katalog/behbe124

He is working on models and methods for detecting multiple QTL-like loci.

Frithjof Nungesser, M.A.
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
Institut für Soziologie / Department of Sociology
http://www-classic.uni-graz.at/sozwww/personal/nungesser/

Young Beard of the Month: Christoph Rudiger, Lecturer
Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Monash University
http://eng.monash.edu.au/civil/about/people/profile/crudiger

Bearded Academics Dancing
by David Fawcett

Date Painted: 2003
Acrylic on paper, 57 x 77 cm
Collection: Open University

Dr. Neil R. Banerjee
Assistant Professor, Laboratory for Stable Isotope Science
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Western Ontario
http://www.uwo.ca/earth/people/faculty/banerjee.html

Research Interests:
Stable isotope biogeochemistry; Microbial alteration of modern and ancient oceanic crust; Evidence for early life on Earth; Formation and evolution of oceanic crust; Geochemical cycling at mid-ocean ridges; Formation of massive sulfide deposits at mid-ocean ridges; The origin and emplacement of ophiolites; Astrobiology.

Dr Ian Marquette
Research Fellow
Department of Mathematics, University of York
http://maths.york.ac.uk/www/im553

The Academic's Fickle Beard from Matt Reynolds on Vimeo.

Stefan Kah, Researcher
European Policies Research Centre
University of Strathclyde

Research experience on regional policy and the Structural Funds in Austria. Stefan has also worked in both Switzerland and Austria on Interreg-funded projects.

http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/eprc/cv_sk.cfm

Stefano Lazzari, Researcher
Montecuccolino Laboratory, Department of Energy, Nuclear and Environmental Control (DIENCA) University of Bologna

Dr. Alessandro Farinelli
Visiting Researcher, School of Electronics and Computer Science
University of Southampton
http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/people/af2

While blogspot is updated sporadically, Facebook is where Academic Beards is at.

Thomas Bernauer is a professor of political science at ETH Zurich. He and his research group are based at the Center for Comparative and International Studies, a joint institution of ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, and at ETH Zurich’s Institute for Environmental Decisions. Thomas Bernauer obtained his PhD from the University of Zurich in 1992. In 1988-92 he was a researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva, in 1992-94 a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University, and in 1994-95 a senior lecturer at the University of Zurich. In 1995 he was appointed assistant professor at ETH Zurich, in 1999 associate professor, and 2004 full professor. In 2004-2006 Thomas Bernauer was dean of ETH Zurich’s department of social sciences and humanities, and in 2005-2009 director of the Center for Comparative and International Studies. Since 2004 he is a member of the Swiss National Science Foundation’s research council.

In his research and teaching Thomas Bernauer focuses on international environmental and economic issues. That is, he analyzes political and other conditions under which environmental and economic problems that extend beyond national borders can be solved. He is the author or co-author of ten books, more than 60 journal articles or book chapters, and many other types of publications. His publications have appeared with publishers such as Princeton University Press as well as in political science, economics, and natural sciences journals, for example International Organization, British Journal of Political Science, European Journal of Political Research, Ecological Economics, World Development, and Water Resources Research.

http://www.ib.ethz.ch/people/bernauer